Cabinet shuffle expected as Evans resigns

The Gillard government faces a major cabinet reshuffle following senior federal Labor MP Chris Evans' decision to resign from the ministry.

News of the Senate leader's departure comes just two days after Prime Minister Julia Gillard called the 2013 federal election for September 14.

Senator Evans, the minister for tertiary education, skills, science and research, will formally announce his resignation in Canberra on Saturday, according to media reports on Friday night.

Uncertainty surrounds Senator Evans' future in parliament. The ABC reports he is expected to quit his portfolios immediately and stay on in the Senate for only two more months, although there are three years left to his term.

Senator Evans' WA Senate colleague, Mark Bishop, told AAP the senator's Perth colleagues had been aware for "some time" that the commute to Canberra was taking its toll.

"I think the actual timing is a surprise," he said on Friday night.

"Chris has been commenting to people for some time that he is tired."

He said the resignation could have serious organisational and political "consequences" for Labor in WA.

"Chris had access to everyone who was important in Western Australia ... the government will lose that inside edge," Senator Bishop said.

Appearing on ABC television on Friday night, Labor MP David Bradbury said he was unsure that Senator Evans was stepping down.

"What I would say about Chris is that Chris has been a wonderful member of the team, leading our team in the Senate," he said.

Christopher Pyne, manager of opposition business in the House, said Senator Evans' resignation "spoke volumes" about the state of federal Labor nearly eight months from the election.

"The information that I have is that Chris Evans has resigned not because of ill health, which was my first thought, but because he's just had enough," Mr Pyne said.

"And for the Senate leader and a cabinet minister to decide that he's just had enough speaks volumes for a dysfunctional Labor government."

He said he believed more resignations would follow.

"I don't want to speculate that this might be part of a (Kevin) Rudd push for the leadership, but it seems particularly odd that two days after the prime minister has fired the starter gun for an election campaign, her Senate leader has resigned, Craig Thomson has been charged with 149 offences, and one would have to say that the election campaign has got off to a very rocky start," he said.

News Limited speculated that Immigration Minister Chris Bowen was likely to be moved into the higher education and skills portfolio.

It also suggested Housing Minister Brendan O'Connor may take the immigration portfolio, while Stephen Conroy was believed to be keen to succeed Senator Evans as government leader of the Senate.

AAP understands Victorian senator Kim Carr may also put his hand up for the job.

A spokeswoman for Senator Conroy, who is the government's deputy Senate leader, said she could not confirm he would move to take the reins from Senator Evans.

A spokesman for Mr Bowen said he was unable to comment on the expected resignation or any cabinet reshuffle.

Senator Evans, first elected to the Senate in 1993, supported Ms Gillard in the leadership contest with Mr Rudd in February last year.

Mark Riley of Seven Network tweeted that Senator Evans had informed Ms Gillard of his decision last week.

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